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Premier League player Power Rankings

By Joe Prince-WrightDec 19, 2018, 12:27 PM EDT
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Week 17 of the Premier League season saw some incredible individual displays.

[ MORE: Full Power Rankings archive ]

Players from Liverpool and Man City feature heavily in our latest rankings, while the likes of West Ham and Southampton also have a few stars included.

Remember: this is a list of the top 20 performing players right now in the Premier League and based on them actually playing in the previous Matchweek. If they didn’t play due to injury or suspension, they aren’t going to make this list. Simple.

Let us know in the comments section below if you agree with the selections.

  1. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) – Up 6
  2. Fabinho (Liverpool) – New entry
  3. Danny Ings (Southampton) – New entry
  4. Gerard Deulofeu (Watford) – New entry
  5. Robert Snodgrass (West Ham) – New entry
  6. Felipe Anderson (West Ham) – Down 3
  7. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – Down 7
  8. Gabriel Jesus (Man City) – New entry
  9. Leroy Sane (Man City) – New entry
  10. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) – New entry
  11. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) – Down 7
  12. Neil Etheridge (Cardiff City) – New entry
  13. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) – Up 1
  14. Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool) – New entry
  15. Raul Jimenez (Wolves) – New entry
  16. Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) – New entry
  17. Raheem Sterling (Man City – Down 4
  18. Jan Bednarek (Southampton) – New entry
  19. Joe Hart (Burnley) – New entry
  20. Fabian Balbuena (West Ham) – New entry

Video shows Lazio fans’ racist chants aimed at Chelsea loanee Bakayoko

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Associated PressApr 18, 2019, 12:15 PM EDT
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ROME (AP) A video has emerged of Lazio fans directing a racist chant at AC Milan midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

The video posted on the Gazzetta dello Sport website shows fans singing, “This banana is for Bakayoko,” during Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Udinese at the Stadio Olimpico.

[ MORE: Pochettino “not optimistic” on Kane ]

It was an apparent response to Bakayoko and Milan teammate Franck Kessie waving the shirt of Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi in front of their supporters like a trophy after a 1-0 win on Saturday.

Bakayoko, who is black, is on loan from Chelsea.

Lazio fans have a long history of racist and anti-Semitic episodes.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Chelsea, Pulisic may tour U.S. in 2020

AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File
By Nicholas MendolaApr 18, 2019, 11:32 AM EDT
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Chelsea has announced intent to visit the United States in the Summer of 2020.

Blues chairman Bruce Buck says the club “has work to do in Middle America” as it’s built up what he believes to be significant support on the coasts of the United States.

[ MORE: Pochettino “not optimistic” on Kane ]

Chelsea will be in Boston next month to play MLS side New England Revolution in a friendly billed “The Final Whistle on Hate.”

But Buck knows that Americans have plenty of interest in new signing Christian Pulisic, who will still be with Borussia Dortmund when Chelsea visits the U.S. in May.

“He’s a personable boy. He’s well-liked in this country,” Buck told the Associated Press. “So of course I would expect him when we come here and play some friendly matches, which is what our objective is in the summer of 2020. Then, yes, I think he will be helpful.”

American fans have been skeptical about how much of Chelsea’s interest in Pulisic was based on potential for stardom versus potential for marketing appeal in the States, but it’s important to note that this article could’ve been written about signing a top Mexican player and touring Mexico, or a Japanese star and heading to Asia.

The morning after: Pochettino on returning home, Kane recovery

AP Photo/Dave Thompson
By Nicholas MendolaApr 18, 2019, 10:50 AM EDT
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Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham Hotspur flew back to North London after Wednesday’s memorable triumph in the UEFA Champions League, a few days before the club will make the same trip to visit Manchester City in the Premier League.

“We are tired after an amazing and crazy and unbelievable night,” Pochettino said, via the BBC. “We flew late and didn’t sleep too much, but the happiness made us feel strong and with energy. We need to forget the Champions League now and be ready for Saturday, for a battle.”

[ MORE: Klopp on 1st time facing Messi ]

Good luck on the forgetting part, Poch. The advancement past Man City over two legs came after VAR correctly ripped a stoppage time City goal off the board and plunged Spurs from despair into euphoria.

And now they go again.

Pochettino said he elected to bring the team back to London to sleep in their own beds and recover at their own facilities.

It also allows Spurs to keep a close eye on Harry Kane, who missed the second leg and has been expected to miss most if not all of the season with an ankle injury.

“We are not optimistic but you know Harry Kane and with Harry Kane all is possible,” Pochettino said. “We are not going to say he is not going to play again or not. We will assess him day by day.”

We have to imagine that Spurs going from, “Can we beat City and stay in the Top Four without Harry?” to “We are three wins from a Champions League title” might help Kane heal a bit faster (and he’s already a bit of a specimen when it comes to that.

Barton “emphatically denies” attacking fellow League One manager

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By Nicholas MendolaApr 18, 2019, 9:30 AM EDT
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It seems like there is much more to the incident reportedly involving Joey Barton and a fellow League One manager.

Barnsley launched a complaint after Fleetwood Town manager Barton allegedly attacked his counterpart Daniel Stendel after a match on Saturday.

[ MORE: Klopp on 1st time facing Messi ]

Police stopped Barton from leaving the stadium after the match, and Barnsley player Cauley Woodrow has now taken down a Tweet saying that Stendel was left with “blood pouring down his face.”

Now Barton is denying allegations that he attacked Stendel, and is expected to be in the dugout for the Fishermen, who sit 11th in League One.

From FleetwoodTownFC.com:

“With regards to the alleged incident on Saturday following our game against Barnsley, I emphatically deny the allegations made. Given this matter has not been formally closed, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment.”

Barton’s checkered past is well-documented, but this tale continues to develop in fascinating ways.